What's New
The latest from Life Performance Solutions
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June 2008
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About LPS
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Champion cyclist, triathlete, and certified expert coach Todd Roberts, founded Life Performance Solutions on his commitment to personal attention, mastery of physiology, sophisticated technical monitoring, and the belief that each of us can achieve our dreams.
If you're near the top of your personal best, Cycling & Multi-Sport Coaching will get you to peak performance.
If you're puzzled about why you're not in better shape, consider Health & Fitness Coaching for a program that challenges you at the right level, and sustains your motivation.
Todd balances enthusiasm and encouragement with an appreciation that to be successful, healthy, and happy, we have to integrate the demands of fitness with other life activities.
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Get professional advice and join the discussion on our BLOGS
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LPS Coaching
LPS Cycle Fit
LPS Nutrition
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Cycling: It's All in the Fit
LPS' new Bicycle Fit Consultation
is
a precision bicycle fit--not a sizing of the bike. Using precision body measurements and CAD technology, an LPS team member will identify
precise alignment for a total body fit on your bicycle. This process
provides perfect cleat, saddle, stem and handlebar alignment and
position.The Consultation includes precise, quantitative and personal
data to help you train longer, faster and more comfortably while sustaining maximal cycling performance.
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Want free information about fitness?
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Hello and Welcome!
The great
thing about LPS athletes is that they are always working hard, achieving great
results and evolving their training practices. In the office, we are no different!
Let me introduce you to some of our many recent changes. The biggest news is that we're moving to our own team model. I will continue to work with clients directly, to shape the LPS philosophy, and to oversee the design of programs, but we have added team members with expertise in specific areas. Each one will be available to LPS athletes individually, and each one will coordinate with me to develop programs for you. Each team member has a blog so you can find out what they're observing and thinking, ask questions, and offer your own ideas. There's a box on the left side with links to each blog. --Todd
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You're Looking Great!
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A sample
of the terrific progress our athletes are making
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Aerobic vs Anaerobic Timeline
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When to Make the Switch
By Todd Roberts
What are the signs it's time to switch from aerobic activity to anaerobic? Perhaps your competitive season determines this for you. Perhaps you are bored with low intensity workouts. General periodization training principles suggest an 8 to 12 week aerobic base fitness development. Instead of guessing or using general guidelines, let's examine training data that indicates when this change is necessary and how to time this for your competitive season as it personally pertains to you.
 The three athletes whose charts are shown at right have developed a full aerobic base with training intensity no higher than Functional Threshold Training (95% of tested Lactate Threshold). Each has a drastically different timetable for aerobic base development determined by fhe athletes' own physiology and training response -- not by competitive season requirements or general principles. Gerry required 7 weeks, Tiffany required 10 weeks and Tom required 12 weeks. Notice on Gerry's chart at week 7 (the seventh red bar from the left), he experiences a maximum weekly average HR and significant gain to average LT power. However on week 8, his avg HR drastically drops while his LT power stays relatively unchanged. Likewise, Tiffany experiences this between weeks 10 & 11 and Tom experiences this between weeks 12 & 13.
 In another situation, Mark developed aerobic base fitness over 12 weeks instead of a more appropriate 9 weeks. His LT stayed the same or declined after week 12 and Vo2Max power never really grew after week 12, effectively capping off his high intensity performances -- or his ability to compete effectively.
Suzy developed aerobic base fitness for minimal 7 weeks. Her LT stayed the same or declined and Vo2Max power only grew for 4 weeks, drastically declined, then peaked 6 weeks later with a steady decline for the remainder of the period. She was not capable of any more intense training, effectively ending her competitive season.
In summary, each athlete has a different athletic training response time, aerobically speaking; however, all athletes are similar with regard to the full aerobic base development indicators. Do not be lulled into the general protocol for fitness development timelines as specified in a lot of training material. You may find yourself capping off your anaerobic development or prematurely ending your athletic season. Let your own personal physiology show you your aerobic / anaerobic timeline.
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 Food for Fuel
By Sue Gabriel
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Whether your goal is to complete a triathlon, ride your
first century, or exercise to improve overall health and fitness, proper
nutrition is critical for maximal performance.
It forms the foundation for physical activity and provides the fuel
necessary for biologic work to take place.
Carbohydrate, fat, and protein are the nutrients that
supply that fuel. During exercise all
three of these 'macronutrients' are used, at different levels depending on the
physiological circumstances (i.e., intensity and duration of exercise, total
calorie intake).
- Carbohydrates: 'Carbs', commonly known as sugars and
starches, are the preferred fuel for high intensity exercise. As such, they exhibit the most dramatic use
and depletion during intense exercise and heavy training, compared to fat and
protein.
- Fat: Fat performs several important functions in
the body. As a source of fuel it is a
powerhouse, providing more than twice the calories per gram as carbohydrate and
protein. Relative to carbohydrate, fat
utilization is maximal at lower exercise intensities.
- Protein: Protein is not a preferred source of fuel for
the body, however can serve as an alternative fuel during intense exercise if
carbohydrate stores become depleted, or if total calorie intake is inadequate
to meet the body's needs.
Under normal circumstances these nutrients are digested,
absorbed, and transported to the muscles and tissues where they're needed. However, there are situations where this
process is interrupted by the consumption of substances that interfere with
absorption, making them unavailable to the body.
Research has shown that some medications interfere with
nutrient digestion and absorption by causing mouth irritations, dental caries,
and irritation to the esophagus and stomach.
This can lead to loss of appetite and subsequent deficiency of several
vitamins and minerals that play a key role in the biochemical reactions that
provide energy.
Research has also shown that alcohol, if consumed in
excess, inhibits the normal metabolism of vitamins and minerals, thereby
directly impacting the availability of energy from carbohydrate, fat, and
protein. Alcohol is a toxin, and
regular high intakes have been linked to cancers of the liver, mouth, throat,
and stomach as well as cirrhosis of the liver. As an irritant to the lining of
the intestinal tract it increases urinary excretion of calcium and
magnesium. Calcium is a required mineral
for muscle contraction, and magnesium is directly involved in energy
metabolism. The result is an increase in
muscle cramps, weakness, and abnormal heart rate. These are just a few of the ways alcohol
consumption can interfere with athletic performance. Many more have been documented in the literature.
Physical activity increases the need for fuel, and for the
metabolic processes involved in its utilization. Anything that limits its availability or
alters its metabolism can have a profound impact on performance.
If you have any questions, please contact LPS.
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